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Dinkey Lakes Wilderness & Three Sisters

The afternoon prior to the Hell for Sure Lake & Red Mountain adventure run, I decided to make a quick exploration to the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness area to the west of Courtright Reservoir. This 30,000 acre wilderness area was added to the National Wilderness Preservation system in 1984 and features numerous alpine and subalpine lakes and a granitic crest with several peaks over 10,000 feet. I decided to make a small tour of the region including Cliff Lake, Rock Lake, Second Dinkey Lake and Island Lake. The trails in this region are moderate and very runnable. I also climbed the highest point in the wilderness, Three Sisters, at 10,619 feet. This climb was not without complexity for me as deep and slippery snow on the north slopes caused me to misjudge my route and ultimately retreat off a precarious position on icy granite cliffs. After adjustment, I made my way to the summit of Three Sisters via a more circuitous but safer route. The panoramic views of the entire High Sierra to the east are breathtaking. However, since the Dinkey crest is so far removed from the High Sierra, the distant view of the mountains is diminutive compared to the close encounters I am accustomed to on my adventures immediately beneath the peaks. The whole outing was only a bit over 4 hours, but it became cold and dark for the last 4 miles of running back to the reservoir. The snow definitely enhanced the scenery and my favorites are below with more here.